Cursed Friendship
by Melody's last song
Summary: first fanfic so go easy! When Amy Rose embarks on a quest to find Shadow after the ARK incident, she stumbles upon a mysterious panther who entrusts her with a precious secret and drags her into a new adventure. Might have AmyXShadow
1. A new Journey

Cursed Friendship

Mwa ha ha ha ha!

Disclaimer: I, Melody's Last Song, do not in any way, shape, or form, own any of the Sonic the hedgehog characters…Sega does…but I do own a few made up charries that I…well…in all obviousness…made up…anime sweat drop

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Sonic sat alone under a tall, shady tree, staring up at the sky as the sun began to set, spreading tendrils of pink and purples across the fading clouds. He sighed to himself as a cool night breeze set in and waved the leaves of the tree almost soothingly. "Life can't get much better…" he thought to himself, slowly drifting into a calm, relaxing sleep after a day full of running and exploring.

Tails spent this time tinkering away in his workshop, toying with the possibility of creating a new machine with the purpose of cleaning all sorts of messes that Tails made as the days went by. With his busy schedule of creating, thinking, helping Sonic, and meeting with his friends, the two-tailed fox simply did not have the time or energy for such trivial matters such as cleaning.

A small knock on the door distracted him as he crashed over several boxes of old, used parts in a mad attempt to reach the door. "Coming!" he shouted as he extricated himself from the scrap metal.

Amy Rose's loud voice called from the other side, "Tails, don't hurt yourself in there!" She sniggered to herself as she imagined the source of the loud noises inside. Finally the door swung upon and Tails half-waved, still a little annoyed at his contretemps (which for those who don't know, is just a fancy word for foolishness or mistake!)

Amy walked in and immediately began speaking in a hurried voice, "Tails, I've got a problem I need your help with…it's about Shadow…"

Tails nodded and answered patiently, "What about him?"

Amy ignored his slight lack of interest as she stared down at her feet, "He…well…he disappeared again…and…I'm worried about him…ever since we found him after saving us…he's been so…moody…"

Tails raised an eyebrow, "You mean…moodier than usual, right?"

Amy rolled her eyes, "Yes, stupid. I just want to know if you can make me a tracking device."

This simple request peaked Tails interest, and his worry, "Do you mean to tell me that you're going to go find him? You do realize that he doesn't enjoy anyone's company…and will probably run away, right? Besides, Sonic'll—"

She cut him off sharply, "I don't care what Sonic will do! He had his chance, and now it's over! I'm leaving to find Shadow, he needs me and I have a feeling I'm the only one who can help him!" She watched for Tails' reaction, seeing none, she added, "And if you breathe a word of this to Sonic, I'll knock you upside the head with my hammer!"

Tails backed away slightly, a glimpse of fear flashing through his eyes as he softly answered, "I won't tell anyone…but I want you to know, you've changed since the ARK incident…and I'm worried."

Amy called back as she left, "Bring the device tomorrow…" She returned home to her apartment and instantly fell asleep.

The following morning, early morning sun rays burst in through Amy's bedroom window and shined right in the pink hedgehogs face. She immediately shielded her closed eyes with her hand and rolled out of bed, yawning tiredly.

As she was tiptoeing outside, Amy nearly tripped over the tracker Tails had placed there in the dead of night. Without thinking further, or alerting anyone else of her decision, Amy grabbed the electronic device and her hammer then began walking down the street, rapidly disappearing amidst the hubbub of early morning Mobius.


	2. Melody

Disclaimer: I, Melody's Last Song, do not in any way, shape, or form, own any of the Sonic the hedgehog characters…Sega does…but I do own a few made up charries that I…well…in all obviousness…made up…anime sweat drop Oh yeah, due to a request from Lizzey The Hedgehog, I will add in a character of her creation who is named—Drumroll Pleaze!—Lizzey the hedgehog!

**Me: ** Who's ready for chapter number 2! With any luck, it'll be as good as chapter 1…but we'll just have to see. Easiest way of finding out is to just read it:D

**Shadow:** So…umm….when do I appear in this?

**Me: **We shall see…

**Shadow: **Darn, I hate being patient…

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Amy walked for what seemed like hours before she reached the road leading out of her hometown in Mobius. She whispered to herself, feeling a slight pang of sadness, "Goodbye for now, friends…" She took a few steps out of her town and, taking a deep breath, began running as fast as she could before she had a chance to change her mind.

Amy suddenly skidded to an abrupt halt as a hedgehog with brown streaks and brown eyes seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Amy gasped with surprise and stared with shock for a moment.

The other hedgehog grinned and began speaking in a fast-paced voice, "Hi, I'm Lizzey, what's your name?"

For a moment, Amy couldn't seem to find any words to say to the hedgehog as she just continued to stare at her for a minute or two. Finally she found her tongue and answered, "Amy…my name is Amy…"

Lizzey jumped up and down with energy and answered, "Heehee, Amy rhymes with Jamey!"

Amy raised an eyebrow, "I think I'm aware of that…so..um…I kinda am in a hurry and really need to get moving…I don't want Sonic catching up with me…"

Lizzey thought a moment, "That's why you were running…Wait a friggin' minute…I know of Sonic!"

"Okay, but if you see him, you BETTER not tell him you saw me!" Amy answered, "I'm ditching him for Shadow!"

Lizzey's eyes got really big, "Shadow? Kewl!" As Amy turned to leave, Lizzey caught up and pleaded, "Can I come? PLEASE!"

Amy sighed, "Sure…I guess I need company…"

They continued on at a jogging pace until the sun began to set peacefully in the hills, spreading the skies once again with vibrant hues of pastel colors. Amy took no notice as she continued on, recalling Shadow in her mind.

Sonic, however, began to feel slight worry as he noticed Amy's absence loaming about him all day. "I wonder where she is?" he thought to himself, pacing around outside Amy's apartment door after ringing the doorbell several times.

Tails watched him for a little while before finally mustering up enough courage to step into view, "Um…Sonic…Amy's gone…looking for Shadow…"

"WHAT!" Sonic screamed, voice echoing down the streets and mouth hanging wide open. He began running as fast as possible, finding Amy and Lizzie really quickly and grabbing the pink hedgehog's arm. "Why, Amy, why?" He asked, voice sounding slightly hurt.

Amy tried pulling away but his grip was too tight. She answered with annoyance, "Because you are a jerk, Sonic, you hear me? A JERK! J-E-R-K! Do I have to spell it out for you!"

Lizzey giggled and whispered, "I think you just did…"

Sonic scratched one of his quills with his other hand and asked softly, "Why do you think so, Amy? I'm sorry if I did something to hurt you…"

Amy rolled her eyes, "As if! You don't care that Shadow disappeared and you never went out to look for him! He sacrificed everything and you wimped out like the coward you are! And besides, you never appreciated my devotion to you! So I'm going to find Shadow. Have fun without me!" She struggled some more, "LET ME GO!"

Sonic shook his head, "Not until you come home with me and we talk this over! I can't believe you're sad about Shadow…in case you hadn't noticed, he wasn't exactly our friend!"

"Just let go!" Amy demanded again, tears filling her eyes, "I hate you…"

Suddenly lightning crashed as a mysterious creature materialized in front of them. Holding a swordpoint at Sonic's neck it hissed, "Let the girl go…or you die…"

Sonic released his grip and stared in fear. The creature then commanded in an icy, bone-chilling voice, "Now get out of here…" Sonic ran faster than ever to escape.

Amy fell to the ground, holding onto her arm where Sonic had bruised it as she sobbed to the creature, "Thank-you so much…"

The sky got slightly brighter and Amy found herself looking at a panther in her late teens with blue-green eyes and golden-brown hair. The panther sighed into the wind as she leaned against her sword and answered with utmost ease, "Anytime…I'm Melody by the way…I heard your argument…"

Amy nodded, "He is such a jerk…"

Melody nodded, "yeah…He acted like one…How about this, I'll aid you in your search and keep him away for a while…besides…I've nothing better to do…just don't ask too many personal questions…my life ain't exactly one to be proud of…but that's no reason to fear me either…"

Amy half smiled as Melody reached out a hand and helped her to her feet. She was still shaking as she answered, "Okay, my name is Amy…and that hedgehog over there is Lizzey…I just met her too…"

Lizzey waved cheerfully, quickly getting over the incident that just took place.

Melody glanced around furtively before whispering to the two, "If I help you two find this Shadow guy…will you help me? I have something I have to do…but I cannot do alone…and a dreadful secret that I cannot keep much longer before it rips my very soul apart…it may not affect either of you in any way, but it haunts my existence…and I feel like I'll die if I don't get this off my chest…"

Amy nodded solemnly, interest clearly stamped across her face.

Melody took a deep breath and said, "Okay…here it is……."

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**Sorry I have to leave you all at a cliffhanger and stuff…but…well yeah…I've got homework to do and stuff and the chapter is already long as it is. And it might be slightly b/c I'm just evil that way…mwa ha ha ha! Keep checking for the next chapter…I'm a relatively quick updater when I don't have writers block.**


	3. Deadly Secrets

**Disclaimer**: Once again, as if you haven't read this lovely message enough, I do NOT own any of the Sega characters. Melody, on the other hand, is a figment of my imagination, therefore belonging to me. And now I'll try to stop sounding like my English teacher and get on with the story. Oh yeah, Lizzey the hedgehog doesn't belong to me either, I just gave her a personality.

**Melody: **So, I guess I'll have to spew my so-called big secret now? Sounds like fun…but if everyone reads it, will it be a secret anymore? Can't I just whisper it in her ear or something?

**Me: ** No, then people would throw tomatoes at me!

**Melody: **Hmph!

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Melody hesitated for a minute or two then finally said in a painfully quiet voice, "My hands are stained with the blood of my family...ever since I was five years old." Her voice sounded like it would break soon but her face was void of emotion. "I need your help finding a certain item…it's the only way I can save the lives of others close to me…"

Amy's mouth was agape and she was paralyzed with horror at the thought. She stammered, "y…you _killed _your family? When you were five! How a…and why!" Amy backed away really slowly.

Melody sighed and sat down, staring at the ground with shame and helplessness toward the situation. "It wasn't my fault…I am evil…I was born evil…I can't help it…"

Amy became even more horrified to the point of holding her hands really really tightly until her knuckles (under her gloves) turned white.

Melody continued, face still showing no expression whatsoever, "Please help me break this curse…I don't want to worry about the next one I kill…I don't want to be a mindless hateful killer…" Then she broke down crying into her hands, skinny frame shaking uncontrollably.

After a few awkwardly uncomfortable moments, Amy embraced her and whispered soothingly, "I'll help you…no one deserves this much pain."

Melody looked up at her, "Thanks…"

After several hours, just as the pale moon began to rise higher into the star speckled sky, Melody finally said, "We need to set out while the going is still good. Don't worry about robbers and stuff…they usually sing a different tune once I decapitate one or two with my sword." She grinned.

"Wait a minute…" Amy said, raising an eyebrow, "What happened to the whole 'I don't wanna be a killer' speech you delivered an hour ago?"

Melody shrugged, "That's self defense. I choose to kill to keep you and your friend over there alive…my curse inflicted on me since birth…that's a different story…"

Amy sighed to herself and muttered to Lizzey, "I really don't understand her…do you?"

Lizzey shook her head and quietly murmured, "Sounds like she should be in some kind of institution for the disturbed…Maybe we should put her in a straight jacket and leave her here!"

"She almost reminds me of Shadow in a way." She mused to herself, picking up her hammer and the tracking device.

Melody noticed Amy furtively glancing at the tracking device and offered, "We'll find your friend first, then we'll help me, okay?"

Amy didn't answer.

As the wind blew quietly, swishing through the long grass stained silver by the moonlight, Melody distinguished the sound of footsteps through the normal nighttime chorus of crickets and owls. Her ear twitched and she drew her sword, tensely surveying her surroundings. "Amy!" she hissed, "Someone's approaching! Get Lizzey to safety NOW!"

A whizzing filled the night and Melody, thinking quickly, leapt five feet in the air, evading a dagger which was slicing through the air toward where she was standing a minute ago. It landed quivering, point first in a tree semi-far away. "Two can play at that game…" Melody thought, pulling the dagger free and, with a lazy flick of her wrist, flinging it back in the direction from whence it came. Her endeavor was rewarded with a sharp grunt then silence.

Melody ran towards the sound, discovering an old hedgehog pinned against the tree by his throwing arm. She stared boldly into his face and inquired, "Are you finished throwing sharp objects? If you continue, you might just get hurt!"

He sneered at her, ignoring the hot blood oozing through the wound. His voice held infinite contempt, "You'll never find the black and red hedgehog…not after you've done this…" He disappeared into thin air, leaving the dagger embedded in the tree trunk still covered in blood. Melody yanked it out and wiped it on the grass before deftly throwing it into her sack. "He knows where this Shadow guy is…" Her lips turned into a smirk, "And by leaving his blood, I can find him easily..."

She reported her findings to Amy who immediately answered, "Let's find him!"

Lizzey shrugged and thought sarcastically, "Yeah…just go ahead…ignore me as if I weren't there…"

Melody borrowed Amy's tracking device to locate the owner of the blood and she immediately got pale in the face. "Great…" she muttered sarcastically, "Just great…"

Amy looked at her inquisitively, "What's wrong?"

Melody sighed with resignation, "I guess I have to pay a visit home…that strange hedgehog is in the Angel Realm..."

"This is turning out a cursed friendship…" Melody admitted to herself.

Amy was full of questions, "Angel Realm? Is there such a place? And are you a—"

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**Well…can't say that wasn't fun…lolziez! I'm prolly gonna change the rating to T soon…b/c for what I have planned, this story might need it. So, what do you guys think so far? Please send me some feedback and I'll gladly accept criticism and/or praise. Just go a bit easy on me, the first few chapters of anything are hard on me cuz I'm busy trying to introduce the characters and make sure I don't leave anything important to the rest of the story out. Well…TTFN!**


	4. Arriving

**Disclaimer: **As you you all probably know, I do not own any of the Sonic characters…I'll let Sega take the credit. Melody, however, is mine, and Lizzey is someone else's. How many times will I have to type this? Well, I guess it depends on how many chapters I have…

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Melody cut her off, "Yes, I'm an angel, born and raised in the angel realm." She pulled off a dark, cotton cloak which was draped across her back and revealed two large, shining angel wings folded almost flat against her back.

Amy's bright green eyes filled with wonder as she stared at the wings for a few seconds, unable to speak.

Lizzey immediately began talking, "Coolio! So do you fly around and stuff and bless people! Or you more of the type that kills people off when they misbehave or do you just sit around doing nothing. I rather enjoy sitting around doing nothing. It makes my day a whole lot better!" Her voice was fast-paced.

Melody had an anime sweat drop on the back of her head as she answered, "Uh…out of all you said I only caught a few words here and there…"

Lizzey took a deep breath and repeated one of her questions, "So, um, what exactly do angels…you know…do!"

Melody laughed slightly to herself, "We do the same stuff other folks do…I mean like we're regular people…we just have wings…" Before Lizzey could ask anymore questions she said sternly, "But don't go thinking every angel you see is nice and kind and whatnot…corruption and evil have spread through our race rapidly and have blighted the lives of the innocent…"

Amy finally found her tongue, "So, this place is dangerous for you to return to?"

A wild glint appeared in Melody's eye, "Not really, I'm smarter than they think. If you're worried about me, don't be…I've lived this long on the run and getting right under their noses will be more than dangerous…it'll be fun!" She drew her sword and tossed it up in the air, catching it skillfully with her left hand.

Lizzey whispered into Amy's ear, "I still think we should put her in a straight jacket…"

Melody crossed her arms and glared at Lizzey, "I heard that!"

"Darn…" Lizzey muttered.

Melody decided to let it go and unfolded her wings, stretching her sore muscles blissfully. Ignoring Amy's amazed expression, she stated, "I can take you to the Angel Realm, your friend is there…unless your tracking device is messed up or something…" Melody paused, "But my magic isn't very strong right now…being on the run isn't good for me…"

"Magic?" Amy wondered, "So the myths are true…and I'm standing here…in front of a real live angel…"

"Hold onto my hands." Melody ordered, "I'm about to use a spell to take us to the Angel Realm…if you let go at any point of time, you'll end up somewhere totally different…heh…no pressure!"

Amy and Lizzey grasped her hands tightly, hearts racing as Melody mumbled something incoherent and bright light enveloped them. They felt a whooping sensation in their guts and everything became blurry. "Almost there…" Melody informed them.

A few seconds later, Amy felt her feet return to solid ground as her surroundings suddenly became sharp with detail. She, Lizzey, and Melody were standing in a back alley, surrounded by sky-high, dirty brown buildings. "Woah…" Amy gasped, leaning against the wall for support as the sight made her dizzy.

"My home…" Melody murmured quietly before losing consciousness and falling to the litter-covered ground.

"Melody!" Amy shouted with alarm, shaking her limp body, "Melody, speak to me! What's wrong!"

"She musta used too much magic, stupid…" Lizzey stated.

Amy's muscles tensed up as she heard voices approaching rapidly through the narrow alleyways. "We gotta get out of here!" She thought, biting her lip, "They don't sound friendly!"

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**Whew…wipes away sweat That was a bit of hard work. I'm kinda undergoing a bit of writers block right now…which isn't good…I have a bunch of reports and essays and stuff to write for English…grr…this makes me SOOO mad! Well…at least I sorta got through it with this chapter. Oh yeah, don't forget to R and R so I can know your opinions. One more thing, I might not be able to update as often for the next few weeks. My family is moving really soon and my brother is home from college and is sleeping in the computer room (Like ALL day long!) so things are hectic! Heh…that's life!**


	5. Imprisoned

**Disclaimer:** For the millionth time…Sega owns Sonic characters…yada yada blah blah blah…yeah you get the point…But I claim Melody as my own!

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Amy tried to pick up Melody but she was simply too heavy. Grasping her hammer in her right hand, Amy waited nervously, jumping at every sound. She hissed from the side of her mouth, "Lizzey, I hope you know how to fight…because we're in danger!"

Lizzey nodded, determined and not in the least bit afraid. She answered in a voice not lacking in cheerful optimism, "Danger is my middle name!"

A group of middle-aged bulldogs strolled into view, each talking rambunctiously and grinning stupidly as they strutted along. When they came into view, the leader immediately growled, "Well, well, well…what have we here? Looks like a few hedgehogs defenseless in an alley…" The group laughed dutifully along until he silenced them with a wave of his paw. "So, tell me, pink one, why is such a pretty little girl walking around in such a dirty area of town? Didn't you know that punks such as us would attack you? Well…you do now!"

Lizzey couldn't hide a smile, "You're a little old to be a gangsta!"

He advanced on her, drawing a sword, "If you call me old one more time, I'll cut your throat!"

Amy whispered to Lizzey, "Please be quiet! I don't want him to hurt you!"

For the first time, the bulldog leader noticed Melody. He turned to one of his friends, "Hey, Jagged, ain't that the wanted girl? The price on her head is higher than you can count!"

Jagged nodded evilly, teeth gleaming even in the dull light, "I reckon so, Blade,…let's drag her off to jail…besides…our job's already been made easy…heh…she's knocked out stone cold!"

Blade took another step forward, threatening Amy with his short sword. She backed away, shivering slightly and blanching as his rancid breath met her nose. While she was distracted, another bulldog pushed past Amy, kicking Lizzey aside and grabbing Melody, yanking her upright and flinging her across his back.

Melody moaned, eyes slightly opening. It took a few seconds for her to realize the danger of her predicament as she looked around almost drunkenly. She finally snapped to full alertness and clawed at the bulldog's neck, drawing blood. Then she back-flipped to the ground, landing lightly on her feet before drawing her sword and beheading him. She stepped over the crumpled body and swung at Blade's sword with such force that it flew from his hand and clanged to the ground 20 feet away. He lost his nerves completely and grabbed Amy's arm, escaping through the alleys as the remainder of his group followed.

Melody ran after them, gaining speed rapidly as she sheathed her sword. The gang ran into a dead end and surprisingly kept running, disappearing through a wall. Melody stopped right before she ran into it and reached forth a tentative claw, touching the solid, brick surface. "Uh…that's a new trick…" She thought, "Poor Amy…I couldn't help her in time…no doubt that those morons will spread the word about me being here either…and on top of that, I have to perform a rescue mission…" she sighed, "I wonder where Lizzey is…"

Her question was answered as Lizzey ran straightinto the wall face first. "Ow…" she moaned, rubbing her nose as she turned toward Melody. "Who put that wall there?"

Melody shrugged and whispered, "Amy's in danger…and we'll be in danger soon…Try and stay close…"

Lizzey nodded.

Amy whimpered as Blade dragged her to a large hovel, kicking her whenever she struggled. "Shut up!" he barked. (heh…literally!) He opened a trap door and thrust her down a steep stairway before closing the door with a loud thud, leaving her in complete darkness. Amy whined to herself in fear as she cautiously walked downward, trembling uncontrollably. She found level ground and sat down, crying to herself.

Before long, she noticed a pair of sinister red eyes staring at her unblinkingly. She crawled away slowly until she met an earthen wall. Then she begged, "Please don't hurt me!"

After several moments of penetrating silence, a deep voice answered, "I won't…"

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**Well, it took a few days but I got to the computer long enough to update! Please submit a review so I can know what you all think about each chapter! Just don't send flames…unless you want me to use them to burn Sonic at the stake! Well...it's been nice typing...but i'm going off to bed. I've had a LONG day! **


	6. Crimson regret

**Disclaimer: **Uh yeah…Sega owns everybody but Melody and Lizzey…

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An audible sigh of relief escaped Amy's lips. After a few minutes of unbearable silence, she timidly asked, "Why are you here?"

The voice answered quietly, "Don't know, don't care…"

Amy couldn't help but feeling sorry for her jail mate. She inquired in a concerned voice, "Have you been down here for long?"

The answer held little emotion, "Can't keep track of days anymore…"

Amy heard movement in the darkness and she cautiously walked over toward the source of the voice and whispered, "I promise we'll get out of here someday…someday soon…I've a really brave friend out looking for me…"

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Melody paced for fifteen minutes, racking her brain for possible places to look. "This is really not looking good…" She thought to herself as she absent-mindedly polished her sword with her sleeve. "This is _definitely_ not looking good…"

Lizzey crossed her arms with annoyance, "How long is this gonna take! I'm getting tired of standing around doing nothing!"

Melody shrugged, "I'm trying to think of the best options…I really don't feel like getting killed, if you know what I mean…it's easy when just my life depends on it…but I've got to make sure both of you guys get through safely…it complicates things…"

Lizzey leaned against the wall, "I think we should just follow their trail…"

Melody shook her head, "Nah…you've already proven the wall is solid by running into it…but I have a pretty good idea where those bozos are from." She spread out her wings and motioned for Lizzey to grab her hand. Lizzey did so, slightly nervous. With a few powerful beats of her giant wings, the pair was airborne. Melody couldn't help but grin, "This is one of the bonuses of being an angel…I'll track them from the air…"

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Amy reached out a shaking hand until she touched soft fur with her fingertips. "I'm Amy…by the way…"

The hand belonging to the owner of the voice touched hers gently. He answered, "You can call me Shadow…Shadow the hedgehog…"

"Shadow!" Amy felt her fear dissipate immediately as she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, tears leaking from her eyes. She was so overjoyed that she just couldn't cry enough.

Shadow felt his face start burning as he stood there, stunned. He found his voice then murmured, "Amy…from station square…that friend of Sonic? What is going on here?"

Amy hugged him tighter, "Shadow…you've no idea how worried I've been about you! Sonic didn't care…but I did! Please don't ever leave me again!"

Shadow somehow managed to hug her back as he answered softly, "You cared about me? No one has ever…except Maria…why?"

"Because…I love you…" Amy replied, barely believing her own daring.

The words hit Shadow like a sledgehammer (One bigger than Amy's!) and he stood even more stunned. He felt his face burn red and his heart begin to pound as every fiber of his body screamed with surprise and yearning. He swallowed hard and answered, "I can't love anymore…" His heart began aching as Amy released him gradually and her face sprung to his memory. "Amy…" he thought.


	7. Escape

**Disclaimer: **For the zillionth time…I don't own Sega's characters!

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Before Amy had time to react, light exploded into the room as Blade swung open the door and stepped in, grinning evilly at the pair. "I almost forgot about you!" He sneered at Shadow then continued, "Well, I see you two have met…now that you've said hello, you can say goodbye!"

Amy scratched her head and thought with confusion, "He makes no sense…" She moved closer to Shadow, feeling no fear whatsoever. Shadow stood in front of her and snarled at Blade, "Don't touch her! Just let her go!" For some reason he was feeling oddly protective of her as he whispered out of the side of his mouth, "Amy…you deserve someone better than me…I'm going to attack him…and while he's distracted, run as if Faker was chasing you with a knife!"

Amy whispered back,tears brimming in her emerald eyes, "No, Shadow, I won't leave you here to suffer any longer! We'll escape together or not at all!"

Shadow felt emotion welling up inside of him. He stared into her eyes for a few seconds then answered, "Okay…"

Blade threw a rock at them, growling, "That's the most I've ever heard you say in one hour, you mangy black hedgehog! Now it's time to shut the hell up!" He grabbed Amy's arm tightlyby the wrist and yanked her up the stairs, dragging her when she tripped. He slammed the door in Shadow's face and locked it with a swift turn of his wrist. Then he flung Amy against the wall and held the dagger up to her neck, hissing softly in her ear, "Give me the information I need and I'll consider making your death less painful!"

Amy whimpered in fear, shaking uncontrollably, and looked away from his evil bloodshot eyes.

Blade smiled with satisfaction. "Now tell me where the panther is hiding!"

Amy shook her head and answered very timidly, "Let me go…I don't know where she is hiding…I don't know…" She began crying harder as he pushed the cold metal harder into her skin.

Shadow heard her crying and whimpering and felt himself fill with unexplainable rage. He gritted his teeth and ran at the door, smashing his body into it and falling back down the stairs. He tried this several times before spin-dashing at the solid metal door. Swallowing and clenching his fists from frustration and anger, he dealt the hinges of the door a furious medleyof punches and kicks, knocking it clean out of the frame. He leapt up and spun-dashed at Blade, knocking him aside and the dagger out of his hand but in the process getting cornered against the wall.

Somehow, in the pandemonium that ensued next, Amy found the dagger and, as Blade tried choking Shadow to death, stabbed the bulldog in the shoulder. He yelped in pain and released Shadow who staggered to the wall and gasped for breath.

"Shadow, come on!" Amy yelled, grabbing his hand and trying to run. "Run like Faker's chasing me…" She reminded herself, "Just gotta go faster…"

Shadow caught his breath and picked up the pace,grabbing her up easily and running faster and faster until they became an indistinct pink and black blur in the city streets. Shadow kept running until he felt the ground soften into grass and eventually into pine straw. He paused and looked around.

He had run into a huge pine forest with ancient pines growing taller than some skyscrapers. Light filtered through the needle-like leaves with a cool darkness, every so often creating patterns of sunlight on the dark ground which changed with each soft breeze. Amy gasped with amazement as the stillness quieted her frantically beating heart and created a sense of peace around her. "It's beautiful…" She gasped.

Shadow nodded, silently sitting down, and staring up at the snatches of the sky still visible from under the trees. Finally he whispered as if to not disturb the silence, "That was close…"

Amy nodded and answered in a soft tone, "Yes…it was…you're really brave, Shadow…I hope you know that."

Shadow modestly stared down at his feet, listening to the wind blow gently as it swayed the tree tops. He gradually lifted his head and looked up at her face, "Amy?"

"What?" She asked, turning her gaze upon him.

"I love you too…" He murmured softly, staring deep into her eyes.

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**AWWWWWWW! How sweet…I bet everyone can guess what comes next! Don't forget to send a review in! I might start another story soon…but I haven't quite figured out how I want it to end yet…but I'll get the first chapter up as soon as I find time to write it! TTFN!**


	8. Freedom

**Disclaimer: **--sigh—three guess as to what I'm gonna say next………….If you guessed, "I don't own Sega's characters and I'm really tired of typing this annoying disclaimer!" you were right…so… I don't own Sega's characters and I'm really tired of typing this annoying disclaimer!

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Amy tilted her head back and closed her eyes as Shadow kissed her on the lips passionately, holding her so that she wouldn't fall. He hugged her tighter as if he could never let go, then looked up at her face. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing tears streaming down her face.

Amy tried wiping her eyes before answering, "I'm just so happy that you didn't die on the ARK…and that I finally found you again…"

Shadow used his finger to gently wipe the rest of her tears and whispered, "I promise I'll never make you worry like that again…"

A few moments slowly ticked by as Amy leaned her head against Shadow's soft tuft of chest fur. "We should find my friend now…she's probably worried sick…"

Shadow released her and answered, "If she's human…no. If she isn't…sure…"

Amy smiled, "She's not human…you know…you hold grudges for a long time…"

He shook his head, "I don't…they deserve every ounce of hate I feel towards them…" His eyes were cold again and his face grim.

Amy changed the subject by quickly asking, "So, um, how long have you been a prisoner?"

Shadow shrugged, expression softening. "I don't know…night and day melds together for me…I woke up there…and didn't remember falling asleep in the first place."

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Melody felt her grip on Lizzey's hand failing due to sweat and her weight. She sighed and swooped down, hovering right above the ground long enough for Lizzey to jump down before she folded her wings in midair and landed feet first. "Hope you enjoyed that…don't get used to it…" she mumbled, massaging her soar wings. "I usually don't carry that much weight for more than an hour…you're lucky I didn't drop you."

Lizzey didn't answer as she stared at the ground with a sick expression. She moaned and held onto her stomach, face turning pale.

Melody patted her on the back, "It'll be alright. Not everyone can stand intense flight for long…" She sighed, "That bad news it, well, we still haven't found Amy. Where in the world could a bunch of dense wanna-be gangsters have taken her anyways?"

Lizzey shrugged, slowly recovering from her nausea. Melody smiled sympathetically at her and suggested, "I'll let you rest for a few minutes while I check our surroundings." She walked to a nearby tree and leapt into the lowest branches, easily scaling the rest and gaining a 10 mile view in every direction from the lofty height. She easily spotted a pink dot somewhere close to the middle of the forest and thought, "Found her…but who that other person with her is? Either it's one of the bulldogs…or that Shadow person she was talking about. I hope it's the latter…"

She prepared to jump down but something further along caught her eye. A large amount of people were gradually moving near to where Amy and Shadow were located. Melody took stock of their position before throwing herself from the tree, landing skillfully on her feet.

"Lizzey!" She shouted, running toward the hedgehog, "We need to get a move on! Amy might be in danger!"

Lizzey immediately scrambled to her feet, following Melody into the deeper parts of the forest. Melody tried to run slow enough for Lizzey to catch up but her panic drove her on to higher speeds. After several minutes of the intense sprinting, Melody began to flag, unable to endure much more. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and running faster, despite the pain.

She caught sight of Amy and Shadow and, unable to stop, ran right into Amy, knocking her over. "Sorry…" She gasped, helping her up. "This is urgent...there are some people coming toward us…they aren't going very fast so there's probably still time to escape…" She took a few deep breathes then looked around. Her heart skipped a beat, "Where's Lizzey!"

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**Whew…I think I typed that a little bit too fast…lol…well…not my best chapter I've ever written but…I can't just skip ahead in my story or anything. Send in a review!**


	9. Lost and Found

**Disclaimer: **You know it by now…and in case you don't…I don't own any of the Sonic characters…just Melody.

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Amy shrugged not understanding the situation completely. "I don't know…you were with her last."

Melody groaned with irritation, "Didn't you catch all that I just said!"

Amy shook her head, "You said it a bit fast…sorry…"

Melody took a few deep breathes and repeated in an agitated voice, careful to speak slowly enough for Amy to understand. "Lizzey is missing, and there is a huge group of people coming our way. I don't know if they mean harm or not but I'm not too keen on finding out."

The seriousness of the situation finally hit Amy and she grabbed her hammer, frantically calling out Lizzey's name.

Melody shushed her and quietly ordered, "We're outnumbered…I say we spy on this group and see if they have Lizzey with them and figure out if their friend or foe."

Shadow nodded, speaking for the first time since she arrived, "I can use chaos control for a quick getaway."

Melody nodded, managing a brief smile before climbing up into a nearby tree and listening for traces of the humans. She jumped down and right as she landed, Lizzey came staggering into the camp, dizzy and out of breath, face red and feet dragging. She attempted to wave but fell to the ground from exhaustion.

Amy ran to her and helped her to her feet, supporting her as she tried to stand. Melody wiped her forehead with relief and asked, "Did you see the humans?"

Lizzey nodded vaguely, barely able to see as she gasped, "The. Humans. Are. Treehuggers. No. Danger." She fainted clean away.

Melody lifted her easily and set her down on a pile of pine straw. "False alarm." Her voice held relief.

"How come you assume everything means danger?" Amy wondered.

"Because it is when you've got a huge price on your head…" Melody paced for a few minutes then sat down restlessly.

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Several hours later Lizzey finally came around and the first thing she said was, "Melody, you run too fast…"

"Can you walk now?" Melody asked, face concerned.

"Yes…"

"Good" she replied, gathering her bag and some of the contents, packing it all away carefully. "I've a feeling that we need to get moving again. I need to find a certain type of flower—one struck by lightning. Then I can break the curse and get on with my life."

Amy posed the next question, "How are we going to find that?"

Melody response was confident, "We just have to look."

"I was afraid you were going to say that…" Amy mumbled.

Melody looked around fearfully, "Guys…if I suddenly…you know…attack you…do whatever you can to fight me…even if it means kill me. I don't want to hurt you…but I feel the curse starting to take effect again."

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**Oooh…scary! J/k! Don't forget to send in a review. The next chapter will be more interesting! (I hope!) Sorry about the last few chapters being a bit short, well, just like the chapters, i'm short on time. Okay...that pun was kinda dumb. --sighs--**


	10. Cursed

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters that Sega owns…--throws rock at disclaimer-- Now I feel better….

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Melody cried out in pain, holding her stomach as she fell to the ground. Amy stood in absolute shock, unable to move even as Melody shrieked, "RUN! I'LL BE FINE!" Her pain doubled and she couldn't stop yelling, voice rending through the previous silence of the forest.

Shadow shook Amy's shoulders and hissed in her ear, "We need to leave!"

"But…what about Melody? I can't just leave her here she's my friend!" Amy protested.

Shadow sighed with exasperation and answered, "Anybody who wants to harm you can never be your friend!" He scooped her up into his arms despite her struggling and looked over at Lizzey, "Keep up or be lost." Then he took off running, gaining speed until he broke the sound barrier. The sonic boom he caused roared through the forest, uprooting trees and churning up the soil.

"Shadow…please go back…we can help her…" Amy's pleas fell on deaf ears.

Lizzey felt tears brimming at her eyes as she looked around in panic, finding no place to hide. Melody quieted down, still lying on the ground. Lizzey tentatively took a few steps toward the motionless panther, softly calling out, "Melody? Are you okay?" A few seconds of utter silence passed and Lizzey crept closer, eventually reaching Melody and placing a shaking hand on her shoulder. "Please say something…"

Melody's eyes snapped open, irises a deep shade of red and face expressionless. Lizzey whimpered in fear as she stepped back, eyes downward to avoid Melody's intense glare of hatred. Melody drew her sword and stared at her, advancing threateningly.

Lizzey screamed, scrambling to escape, running through brambles and branches and ripping her way through bushes covered in thorns. She had no time to stop or express her pain as she ran out of pure terror, each pounding step pushing the thorns deeper into her flesh. "HELP ME!" She cried, voice quickly fading as her lungs used each breath to supply her muscles with enough oxygen to continue running.

She came to an abrupt halt as Melody appeared right in front of her, wings outstretched to prevent Lizzey from getting around her. Lizzey felt her legs freeze with fear and exhaustion as she shook with fear and pleaded, "Melody…please snap out of it…please don't kill me…"

Melody didn't answer but instead slashed at her with her sword, cutting her shoulder deeply and knocking her forcefully into a tree. Lizzey put her hand over the cut, feeling warm blood seeping out slowly. Melody swung her sword again, this time aiming for her chest.

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Shadow finally stopped and Amy pushed herself away from him, eyes moist with tears as she shouted in Shadow's ears, "YOU LEFT HER!" She took a few deep breaths to calm down her nerves, "You know she couldn't run as fast as you…don't you care about anybody but yourself!"

Shadow leaned against a tree and answered quietly, "I'm sorry, Amy, but in such a hard, cruel world…it's every man…er…hedgehog for himself."

Amy wiped away her tears and tried to say in a patient voice, "Shadow…the world is only hard and cruel because people sometimes do things that hurt people…whether by accident or on purpose. If everybody tries to do what's right and help others…the world would slowly turn into a better place. Please try to understand…" When Shadow didn't reply, she asked, "Will you take me back? I need to make sure Lizzey is alright…"

Shadow shook his head stubbornly, "No…it's too late by now…" He leapt out of Amy's way as she ran at him with her hammer screaming, "SHADOW, PLEASE HAVE A HEART!"

Shadow shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry, Amy…but I can't risk losing you…not like I lost Maria…"

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Lizzey closed her eyes tightly, knowing her end was near as the air cut through the air toward her heart. A split second later she heard a loud clash of steel and opened her eyes to discover that she was still alive and that a strange angel was standing in front of her, his sword, blocking Melody's. His fur was of similar color to Melody's, a gentle tan, and his muscles finely toned. He stood firmly, pushing against Melody's strength as he said in a calm voice, "Calm down…there isn't a need for killing her."

Melody snarled and pushed harder, freeing her sword from his with a sharp flick of her wrist. She stabbed at his chest, sword moving like lightning. The panther angel smiled confidently, fending off the sword with ease and aiming for her shoulders. Melody neatly sidestepped, leaping up into the air and slashing down toward his head. The panther angel stumbled backwards to avoid the menacing blade but in the process trapping himself against a tree. Melody held the sword point against his chest as she stared at him with murderous eyes.

"Say goodbye…" she hissed.

Recognition dawned on the endangered angel as he caught a good look at her face. He realized the danger he was in but still managed to say cheerfully, "Melody…I haven't seen you in a while…"

She glared at him, not responding.

"Snap out of it…" He ordered.

"She's cursed…" Lizzey whimpered to him, "And now we're both going to die…" She started crying again.

The angel's mind raced for a possible solutions and escapes but he could find none. "Melody…" he pleaded, "please stop…what's wrong with you?"

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**Well…that was a bit longer than I usually write in one chapter…and hopefully it was good…don't forget to send in a review and tell me what you think. Sorry about the slow update…and I'm sad to report that the next update might be a bit slow in the coming. But I'll get it up as soon as possible.**


	11. The battle continues

**Disclaimer: **Now it's time to recite the disclaimer! I do not own Sega's characters but I do own Melody.

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Melody said nothing, advancing on him, eyes still hard and holding no recognition of him. The panther angel glanced upwards, discovering that the branches of the tree behind him were an easy height to jump. He leapt up right as she stuck. Her sword became wedged in the tree and he used the time in which she tried wrenching it out to climb higher. "Melody…" He murmured to himself, "How can I help you?"

Melody finally freed her sword and snarled at him, "Why don't you fight instead of run away like a coward! Or is it because you know you're doomed? Why try to stop the inevitable?"

He gritted his teeth and leapt down, striking at her shoulder with lightning speed, drawing blood. She returned the blow, nearly hitting his neck but barely cutting the tip of his ear as he ducked. He yelled, "Melody! Don't make me have to do this!" He began fighting as if his life depended on it (his life DOES depend on it!), blocking her sword strokes with natural speed and skillfully attacking back. Their footwork as they fought became more and more elaborate as the swords hummed through the air during their deadly dance. Fierce determined eyes locked onto each other, the two sped up even more, each showing equal skill and neither winning nor losing. Minutes slowly ticked by as they turned into hours and neither angel showed any sign of stopping.

Lizzey watched; fear slowly vanishing and awe taking its place. As the strange angel began to flag, Lizzey realized the danger. Melody didn't seem tired at all as she kept her sword moving, sensing her adversaries increasing weariness. Lizzey grabbed a really heavy rock and tried throwing it at Melody to distract her but found that she did not have quite the amount of strength to budge it. She sighed and grabbed the next best thing—Amy's hammer that she had dropped as Shadow carried her off. Wielding it confidently, Lizzey swung it at Melody from behind, catching her off guard. Melody gradually turned with surprise, falling to the ground unconscious, blood seeping from the wound in her shoulder and a fresh wound on her head.

The panther angel collapsed with exhaustion, breathing heavily has his lungs screamed for air. He could barely lift his sword anymore and his eyesight was diminishing. He managed to gasp, "Thanks…"

Lizzey dropped the hammer and ran to his side, eyes filled with worry as her heart slowly began to stop beating so quickly. "Are you okay?" she asked. She noticed that he only had half an ear on the right side of his head where Melody had cut him. Blood flowed freely from the wound.

The panther nodded, coughing and holding his stomach tightly, eyes shut. He overcame a wave of dizziness and wheezed, "My…name…is…Key…" He fainted from the overwhelming exhaustion.

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Amy paced with impatience, still really annoyed with Shadow's obstinate attitude. "Shadow, it's been several hours…can we please at least see what happened? It's too late for Lizzey by now…thanks to you…" Then the full truth of that statement hit her and she fell to her knees crying and yelling at Shadow, "LIZZEY COULD BE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!" She hid her face in her hand and shook uncontrollably.

Shadow backed away, feeling sorry for Amy's grief but not concerned about anything or one else. He chose not to answer but sat alone thinking to himself, "Why is she like this?" An image flashed before his eyes as his memories took over:

"_Maria!" Shadow shouted, grabbing her hand, "We have to run! GUN is after us!" He led her down twisting passageways, losing sense of all direction in his panic. They ended up in a room somewhere on the west wing of the ARK. Space capsules lined the walls, dusty from under-use. Maria shoved him into one, closing it and placing her hand on the glass as she whispered, "Shadow…" He kicked against the glass, desperately trying to escape as he shouted, "MARIA! NO!" She ran towards the lever, hands grasping it right as the GUN soldiers gained entry. The leader aimed his gun and shot, hitting Maria, fatally wounded her. She fell to the ground, still holding the lever as she whispered to Shadow,(not exact words) "Shadow…bring happiness to humans…Sayonara…Shadow the hedgehog…" Using the last bit of her strength, she pulled the lever down, sending Shadow plummeting towards Earth._

Shadow blinked several times, breathing heavily and sweating as he thought to himself, "Amy doesn't deserve the kind of grief I went through…" He turned back to the pink hedgehog and said gently, "Amy, I'm sorry…We can go back…"

Amy looked up at him with a tear-stained face. "It's too late…" She sobbed, "I just know it is…" She fell into his arms, crying her heart out onto his shoulder.

Shadow murmured quietly, "Maybe it is…maybe it isn't…we'll return in the morning…when you're feeling better…"

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**Well…that probably is one of my longer chapters…(I think). Hopefully it was okay…I wrote it on short notice b/c I'm moving in about 4 days and my days have been filled with packing and cleaning and all that fun jazz. I probably won't update until next weekend once my family and I are settled in and the internet is up. I'll write the next chapter in the car. Come to think of it…I'll be in that darn car for two days straight…--sigh-- Oh well…ttyl!**


	12. Decisions

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sega's charries…but I own Melody and I think I'm going to die if i typed this one more time...and yet I write more chapters...lol

**Oh my GOSH! Sorry I haven't updated in like FOREVER but I've been so worried about moving and all this pressure (not to mention no easy-access internet for a little while) that I've forgotten to update. I'm going through some emotional stress too…leaving your friends that you've known for the better part of your life and have shared countless secrets with is a crushing blow that I still haven't gotten over.**

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Amy sobbed onto Shadow's shoulder, "Let's go back now."

Shadow patted her back gently and murmured, "Okay…" He began running, picking up speed as the wind rushed through his fur and the sun set beyond the hills which gradually faded into forest. They arrived at the original site and, seeing no one, glanced around uneasily. Shadow set Amy down and noticed footprints scattered in the soil. He carefully traced them, sighting the limp bodies of Melody and Key laying in the churned up earth after their intense battle. Lizzey was leaning against a tree, still shivering from the trauma she suffered from.

She heard Shadow's footsteps and warily opened her eyes, and seeing her friends, closed them again and sarcastically said, "Thanks for helping me! I could have been killed!"

Amy squatted down next to her and put her hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry Lizzey…it wasn't my fault…Shadow has issues…the whole time, I was worried about you."

Shadow crossed his arms, "You know I can hear you, right?"

"Shut up!" Amy snapped, venom in her tone. She softened her voice and said, "Lizzey, what happened?"

Lizzey opened her eyes, silently forgiving Amy, and explained the whole ordeal up until when Key fainted.

Amy nodded, "So there are more angels…what you did with my hammer was pretty brave." She glanced back at Melody's form and thought, "I don't know if I can trust her…if this curse happens frequently…traveling with her could be a death wish."

Lizzey seemed to know what Amy was thinking. She softly asked, "What are we going to do about Melody? She really needs are help…I know she wouldn't do something like that if she wasn't cursed."

Amy sighed, "I don't know…I just don't know. I want to help her, but I don't want to put us all in danger. Maybe some things are best left alone." She watched Lizzey's face take on a new expression—a mix between helplessness, empathy, and anger.

Lizzey raised her voice and spoke words straight from her heart, "Amy, we can't give up on her! She needs us more than you can ever imagine…can't you imagine how it is on her, having to avoid people because she never knows when she'll kill them! Life can't go on like that for her…I don't know about you, but I'm going to do everything in my power to help her…she helped you escape from Sonic…think about that…." Then she pushed herself up and stomped to the other side of the clearing.

Amy sighed to herself, seeing the truth in Lizzey's words. "She's right." She thought sadly to herself.

Leaves rustled as Key began stirring, eyes fluttering open. He moaned as his muscles protested every movement but sat up nonetheless. "Ugh…I feel like I was just run over by an 18 wheeler…"

Shadow scratched his head, "What's that?"

Key looked over at him and answered sagely, "Not sure…but it sounds like it would be painful." He rolled onto his hands and knees and crawled to Melody, wincing with every step. He reached her and placed his hand on her forehead, muttering to himself, "She's got a fever…with any luck…she'll be okay." He brushed some strands of hair from her face gently and grabbed a rag from his bag. Summoning water with a lazy flick of his wrist, he wet the cloth and gently placed it on her forehead.

Amy paced around, head hurting from all the thought she was putting into her problem. Her mind raced and raced, hitting roadblocks and speed-bumps as several points of view melded with occurrences, forming an amalgam of confused solutions. She leaned against the tree and sagged down to the ground, "I don't know what to think anymore…" She thought as a wave of sadness swept over her.

Any awkward silence settled its icy grip over all until Key finally suggested, "We better get out of here…I'll take you to my place." He lifted Melody up despite the pain and staggered to Lizzey, explaining, "I've got enemies near…that's the only reason I found you. Come on, I can manage the magic."

Amy grasped Shadow's hand and whispered, "Come on…we're helping Melody." She led him to Lizzey and Key and softly murmured to Lizzey, "You were right; I'll do everything in my power to help Melody break her curse." Lizzey's lips twitched into a smile as she answered, "Good."

Key created an aura of mist like magic around them which enveloped them in its power, and focused his mind towards his home. He imagined the modest little brick house and the hills surrounding it, covered in spring flowers and lightly swept by winds and dusted by mild sunlight. Within moments, they were there, standing on the lush grass of his front lawn, blinking in the sunlight. He graciously led them inside as he proudly informed them, "This is the safest place you could possible be. No one can locate it without a special map or teleport here without the right kind of magic, which is a pure form of the art of teleportation. I'll let you rest up…and then we can see about helping Melody and perhaps get something to eat along the way."

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**Not much excitement really goes on in this chapter…but it was required. Sorry for the slow update, the next one will be much quicker in the coming. So, don't forget to read then review. The next chapter possibly holds more excitement.**


	13. Melody's choice

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill…I don't own Sega's characters but I have created Melody. I have painstakingly given her a personality over a year of roleplaying as her on a guild on neopets (the only reason I like that site) so have a heart and don't steal her or use her without permission…which is basically the same thing.

**Once again I'll have to apologize for the slow update…too much stuff going on to really type stuff for my leisure. I'm taking an internet course and it's taking up every minute of my free and not free time. But I will work ahead at nights and try to get chapters up more frequently for ya'll.**

**(I scraped the skin off of my knuckles today while swimming so typing this might be a bit painful! Especially if I get blood on the keyboard and my mom sees it!)**

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Key laid Melody down on one of two green, soft couches which lined the wall, curving to meet the shape of the circular room. He placed her bags along with her swords down on the tile coffee table a few feet away before offering his guests a seat on the other couch. He hurried to the bathroom and retrieved a basket full of medicines, herbs, and salves.

"It really has been a while since I've had company." He told them, rummaging through the basket, jettisoning several items onto the floor. "So I hope you'll forgive the lack of cleaning."

Amy's eyes scanned the area, picking up every detail and yet found no trace of dust or mess. "Is he seeing the same house I am?" She wondered.

Key finally held up a dark-brown vial holding a few tablespoons of a rather viscous liquid. He shook it with a few deft flicks of his wrist, watching it slowly ooze to the side then back to the bottom only once. Satisfied, he yanked the cork from the top of the vial, releasing a putrid odor into the room. Amy, Shadow, and Lizzey winced as it settled thickly into the air before finally disappearing. Key, who was busy measuring a teaspoon out, didn't seem to notice a difference in scent.

Key held the spoon over Melody's slightly parted lips, making sure the liquid slowly dripped into her mouth and not onto her face. After a few minutes of silence, the last of the medicine disappeared into her mouth and Key wiped the spoon, placing it along with everything on the floor back into the basket. He left it on the table.

"Is that gonna make her better?" Lizzey asked, looking up at Key, worry still etched into her eyes.

"To a certain extent, yes…" Key replied, "As for the curse…no…" He was aware of every breath he took during the silence which ensued. He broke it once again, speaking in an optimistic tone, "She'll wake up in the next hour or so and with any luck, the curse won't appear for a little while. She's really lucky to have friends like you."

Amy sighed as she thought, "But I was the one who doubted her. I could never consider myself a good friend to her…."

Key stood up, signaling for the rest to stay seated. He strode into the kitchen, calling from the refrigerator, "Would anyone like something to drink? I have a semi-large assortment of sodas."

"Do you have Sprite?" Lizzey shouted back, "But if you don't, that's okay, I can always have just a regular old Coke!" She leaned back onto the couch, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths.

"One Sprite coming up!" Key chimed, hastily opening the door and retrieving the can from the top door shelf. "And what about you guys?"

"We're fine." Amy responded.

Key returned with the Sprite and handed the cold can to Lizzey. She opened it and took a few quick sips, savoring the lemony-lime flavor.

More awkward silence.

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Melody moaned, unwillingly beginning to return to the conscious world. Her eyes fluttered open, not yet able to focus, and she rolled over, falling painfully onto the hardwood floor. She reached for her sword, but it was not there. "What's going on?" she groggily asked a few blurry figures, not sure if they were friend or foe.

Key held out a hand, offering to help her to her feet. Melody did not take it but instead crawled to the coffee table, pushing herself up on her own and staggering back onto the couch.

"Feeling better?" Key asked her, putting his hand on her shoulder lightly, hoping the contact would bring her completely back.

Melody blinked a few times as she thought, "I know that voice…" She regained her sight then asked incredulously, "Key! Oh my gosh, how in the world did I end up here?"

Key smiled, "It's a long story…a very long story…"

Melody rubbed her head, "Oh…" She massaged her muscles, wincing as she tried to bend her arms again. "My arms are killing me…" She groaned, "I feel like I've been fighting all day long…"

Key didn't answer but gave her some salve to ease the pain. "You'll be fine…"

Melody's eyes widened, "The curse…" she said quietly to herself, "it must have been the curse…" She found her swords on the table and grabbed them along with her bag. "I'm sorry, but I cannot stay with you any longer…I'm afraid I'll kill you…and I don't want to do this. You see, the closer I get to someone, the more danger they are in…I apologize for not telling you guys before…"

Amy watched her for a moment then realized something, "What, are you leaving?"

Melody nodded, "I don't want to endanger you guys anymore…I'm going to find the cure to this curse and if I make it through this journey alive, maybe I'll see you guys again." She turned for the door and half waved, her eyes holding an amalgam of different emotions which she couldn't even begin to express.

"Wait!" Lizzey shouted, running up to her, "Please don't go! We'll help you find the cure!"

Melody was looking at the ground. "I can't put you guys in any more danger…" she answered. With a slight shove, she pushed Lizzey to the ground, "Do not follow me…" she ordered, walking out the door.

Lizzey grunted in pain as she hit the floor then yelled, "MELODY!" Tears began streaming down her face.

_Authors note: Why do I have dejavue all of a sudden? I think I had a dream of this chapter in the past few nights…oh well…might as well mix it up. I'm gonna add a fight scene just for the fun of it!_

Key walked to her, eyes blazing with determination, "Melody, you can't leave! You won't last very long out there with everybody looking for you and I'd hate to see you killed. This just isn't something you can do on your own."

"Yes it is…" she hissed, "And it will be something that I will do on my own so do not try to stop me!" She drew her sword with a sharp ringing noise which resounded throughout the room. "Don't make me have to fight to get away…" she hissed, "because I'll do it…" She meant every word she said as she held her sword at his chest.

Key bit his lip and drew his sword, "I don't care if I have to knock you unconscious, I'll stop you from doing something that would kill you!" He told Melody. He parried her blade from his chest and they circled each other, each waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

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**I'll continue the fight in the next chapter mainly b/c I'm too tired to think at the minute. I finished a story for my internet class right before this and it was getting a bit long. This chapter seems a bit longer than usual but bear with me, the next chapter will have the fight scene in it (something to look forward to for those of you who liked the other fight scenes) and will have some other items of interest. I haven't decided exactly what the ending will hold for Melody or Shadow or Amy or Lizzey or ETC but with any luck it'll be good. There aren't many chapters to go b/c this is a relatively short fanfiction. (I might post a few that I wrote last summer but they added up to 150-200 pages of colleged ruled paper with small writing each…that'll be fun to type…not) Till next update…ttyl!**


	14. A flower struck by lightning

**Disclaimer:** --sighs-- Here we go again with the annoying disclaimer…I don't own any of the Sonic characters. (I seriously wonder if anyone even bothers reading this thing anymore...)

**Yep, I'm finally updating again! (yay) I was busy working on other things this past week but I made sure I found time to update this. I've just started a Naruto story and that saps a lot of my free time also. But I don't know how long I'll keep that up, just depends. I've changed the category of this to tragedy b/c someone…--gasps--…will die near or at the end! (Can anyone guess who? I won't tell anybody until I post the end!) Well anyways, don't forget to send in reviews! The end is coming near…I can feel it…I'm predicting maybe only a few more chapters…then I'll start a Redwall fanfic and maybe a few oneshots about the Sonic crew…and possibly another story involving Melody. **

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Melody sprung towards him, her sword sweeping at a downward angle towards his stomach. Key sidestepped, barely avoiding the blur of steel. He was surprised at how fast she could move just after returning to consciousness. He continued to try to reason with her.

"Melody, I can help you…just please, please, _please_ stop being so stubborn." He pleaded, defending himself from a few more high-speed blows. He struggled to block another crashing blow from her sword. The two swords clashed in a ring of dangerous steel and the two pushed against each other with all their might, gritting their teeth as the swords began to slip. Melody nearly fell forward but caught herself with her foot.

Melody's fierce eyes stared deep into his as she ceased movement, "No one can help me now…" The blue-green orbs reflected a soul etched in pained-sadness.

"Melody, listen to me, I believe in you and I know you can overcome the curse. I don't know how, and I don't when, but you have the ability and you have the support. Don't give up on yourself." Key's voice was desperate and his hands were tightly grasping his sword as he watched her carefully, flinching at her every movement in fear of another round of attacks.

"NO!" Melody shrieked, "STOP SUPPORTING ME! DON'T YOU GET IT! THE CLOSER SOMEONE GETS TO ME, THE MORE IN DANGER THEY ARE!" she took a few deep breathes, trying to calm down as she added in a soft voice, "I don't want to put anyone in danger…" Tears collected in the corners of her eyes as she spoke even softer, "Especially not you…"

Those words took Key by surprise as he answered quietly, "Think about what's best for you, for once, Melody. Tell me what you need to break the curse and I'll risk and life and limb to find it…"

"A flower…struck by lightning…" Melody answered, giving in.

Key mulled those words over in his mind for a few seconds as he mused to himself, "Struck by lightning, aye? I wonder…" He put his thoughts into a suggestion, "Melody, I think I might know what you're looking for and where to find it. You remember that childhood place we spent most of our summer time, right?"

Melody didn't know what he was getting at but she nodded solemnly, eyes still holding a bit of sadness in them.

"There were frequent lightning storms. A flower that survives such a blast, lives forever, beauty magnified." He recited excitedly, "So odds are, one of them will stand out more than the others and we'll have the right flower."

Melody's lips curved upward into a slight smile, "You're a genius, Key…"

Key shrugged modestly, "Anyone could have thought of it. Let's get there as soon as possible."

"Wait!" Lizzey exclaimed, "You can't leave without me!"

Shadow rolled his eyes moodily and commented, "What's the point of following?" he yawned, tossing an emerald up and down as he ignored Lizzey's annoyance towards him. He smirked and said, "I think that eventually Amy and I should go back to our village…I've decided to stop running away from my problems…" (what a miracle!)

Amy's eyes widened in shock, "I full-heartedly agree, Shadow. But I want to make sure she gets through all right."

Shadow agreed, not wishing to anger her and finally said to Lizzey, "Fine…we'll go and help…" He sighed and leaned his head back against the couch.

Melody overheard everything and shook her head firmly, "No, I draw the line. You guys stay where it's safe, I only need one person to help me and I don't want to harm any of you guys."

"But Melody—" Lizzey began to complain. Melody's expression silenced her almost immediately. She sighed and gave in, her ears drooping.

Taking Melody's hand in his and squeezing it warmly, Key teleported them both to a totally different area on the angel realm. They were standing atop a cliff, jutting downward to a vast stretch of sandy beaches. Waves churned violently below as the clouds ominously became a harbinger for inclement weather. (o0…big words…lolz) Twenty yards or so from the edge of the cliff, the earth slopped gently downward, covered in a thick assortment of grasses, until a certain point in which it just stopped, creating another cliff.

Melody stood near the cliff, inhaling deeply, relishing in the wonderful scent of the salty air. Her mind went back to her carefree childhood, many days of which were spent exploring the beaches below or the caves which dappled the hillside at random intervals.

Rain slowly began to patter down, growing in strength in a matter of seconds. Melody snapped out of her memories as lightning struck the clifftop with a blast of threatening energy. She shrieked and nearly slipped on the wet grass as rain ran down the face of cliff in great sheets, drenching the sands below.

Key laughed good-naturedly and caught her arm, supporting her. He led her to a dryer spot and motioned for her to sit down. She obliged, squinting through the rain at him, waiting for him to speak. Key never said anything; he felt countless emotions swirl inside of him as he looked into the eyes of his childhood friend. He looked beyond her for a second and spotted something glowing unnaturally. It was a rose, though black in hue, covered in thorns and standing slightly taller than the rest of the flowers. The lambent glow it gave off was enough to cut through the rain, piercing them like prisms and creating rainbows which danced as the drops fell.

Key whooped in triumph and dove towards the flower, touching it to make sure it wasn't a mirage. Melody raised an eyebrow at him but turned to see the strange plant. Her mouth dropped open and she couldn't find the words.

Key grasped the stem in his hands, ignoring the thorns which pierced his skin, and yanked it from the Earth, marveling in the beauty of such an unusual flower. His blood dripped down the stem, lightning into a pink as rain water diluted it.

Suddenly he felt cold steel against his neck and his joy dissipated. He turned and stared in disbelief at his attacker and screamed, "MELODY, RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" He muttered a few magic words and the flower appeared in her hands.

Melody staggered forward a few steps but stopped, "KEY!" She felt heat emanating from the flower but ignored it. Without warning, a light enveloped her, traveling up her arms and legs in a huge burst of power. She blinked in surprise a few times as the miraculous glow died down and she felt energy and warmth seeping into her soul. The flower wilted, having done its duty.

Melody didn't waste any time thinking about this, as she was staring helplessly at Key and his attackers. She ran towards them recklessly, sword pointed forward, rain deflecting from its dangerous steal edges.

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"Let's follow them now…" Lizzey suddenly said, leaping up from the couch. "Trouble seems to follow Melody wherever she goes." She grabbed her small knapsack and slung it across her back, waiting for Amy to join her.

Amy sighed, "If she gets mad…I'll just tell her you dragged me…" she joked, sliding off of the couch, dragging Shadow down too.

Shadow grumpily stood behind her, eyes holding a certain amount of boredom. He allowed Amy to cling to him as she held onto Lizzey's hand. "Chaos control…" he muttered.

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**Well…I've gotten another chapter done…this story will end soon…and someone will die. I'll try to update sometime this or next week b/c my other updates have been a bit slow in the coming. But bear with me, the end is near. I also have a few oneshots in store (about random things) as I have mentioned above…so watch out for those too. Don't forget to review…I like to read the review (I don't get much email!)**


	15. Fullout Fight

**Disclaimer: **If I owned the Sonic characters then I wouldn't be writing this disclaimer.

**YAY! An update! Read and review (or at least it would be more appreciated than you can imagine!) Swim team is over…so I have more time on my hands to write the last few chapters of this fanfic (sobs it's almost over) but there might be a sequel! This was going to be the last chapter…but I decided to cut it in two b/c the fight scenes tend to be really long and complicated.**

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Key stared at his attacker. "Jaymal..." he hissed, giving him a very cold glare, "Isn't it enough that you try to destroy the very race you rule…do you have to hurt my friends!"

Jaymal laughed, "Yes, that and much more." His heavy black cloak flapped in the wind as it protected his expensive clothing from the rain and lightning. He watched Key through beady brown eyes which darted from him to Melody. "And I see you aren't doing a good job of protecting your friends, either, you pathetic angel!"

He furtively wrapped his hand around a dagger as he pressed his other blade harder into Key's neck. Key bit his lip as blood slowly trickled down.

Just as Melody dashed between Key and Jaymal, kicking the sword away from her friend, Jaymal whirled around, dagger in hand, and plunged his blade into Melody's stomach. Her eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks, face stuck in a look of pained surprise. Falling to the ground, she doubled over, arms around the wound as blood seeped out.

"MELODY!" Key screamed. Each moan of pain she made hurt him tenfold. He gave Jaymal a look of pure loathing as he slammed his fist in his enemy's face, knocking him backwards a few feet. He took advantage of his pain and swung his sword down at his adversary's neck. Jaymal swirled around as he heard the angry hiss of the metal through the air and blocked the blow with his own sword, wrist jolting from the vibration of impacting steel.

Melody, still holding her stomach and grimacing in pain, forced herself to stand, sword in her weakened hand. "Key…" she managed to gasp, "Let's just get out of here…don't waste…your…time…" She coughed, blood rising in her throat.

Key didn't seem to hear her; he was too intent on his battle for revenge. The two angels fought against each other's strength, lives balanced on the slippery steel which blocked the damaging or final blow. With a flick of his wrist, Key broke the balance, forcing Jaymal's sword up and around. They circled each other for a few minutes, staring keenly at each other as hatred coursed through their veins like a wildfire.

Right as Shadow, Amy, and Lizzey appeared, Jaymal summoned hundreds of his soldiers, each dressed in tough leather tunics and brandishing swords.

"Bad timing?" Amy whispered really softly, backing up.

Shadow nodded, eyes narrowing as he glared into the face of danger.

"Attack those interfering fools!" Jaymal barked, dodging as Key chucked a few daggers at him. He leapt towards the panther-angel, slashing at his throat, triumphant as blood splattered across the ground at Key's expense.

Throwing his hand to his inflamed, bleeding throat, Key confirmed that the cut was not life threatening and was actually just a shallow scratch.

"CHAOS BLAST!" Shadow yelled, blasting several of the angel soldiers off the cliff. They landed into the hard sands with a sickening thud. Lizzey winced at the sound and almost puked as she saw the sands around the limp bodies slowly turn red.

Amy's hammer was out and flying as she swung it recklessly at her adversaries. The angel-soldiers backed away slowly, swords unable to cut through the wood of her swiftly moving weapon, thus rendering them completely useless. One daring angel slashed at her arm, somehow getting his sword wedged in the solid wood of her hammer in mid-swing. She jerked her arm, wrenching the blade from his hand and tossing it to Shadow who threw it over the cliff.

"Feel free to go retrieve it!" Amy threatened, pointing at the edge, "I won't waste any tears if you do." She shrieked as someone grabbed her from behind, yanking the hammer from her grasp and tossing it aside as if it weighed nothing. "HELP!" she screamed, kicking and struggling.

Shadow charged at the angel, leaping clean over his head and grabbing his wings in mid jump, using his weight to pull them downwards. The angel lost his balance and fell in a frenzy of feathers and confusion. Shadow knocked Amy from his arms, catching her before she hit the ground. "Be careful…" he whispered in her ear, setting her down next to her hammer, "This is more dangerous than you think."

Lizzey was the only one who seemed to notice that Melody was in extreme pain. She raced to her asking her in a frenzy of questions, "What happened, Melody? Why are you bleeding? Will you die? If you die what will happen to you?" Tears began brimming in her eyes as she realized the situation. Hugging Melody tightly, she sobbed, "Please tell me you'll get better!"

Wincing in pain, Melody gasped, "Lizzey…you're choking me!" As Lizzey released her, Melody examined her wound more carefully, "It's not as serious as it looks…" she informed the hedgehog, "it just saps my strength and hurts a bit. When this is all over, I'll bandage it and it'll heal soon enough." Melody's tone was brave as she thought, "I hope it didn't puncture any internal organs…"

Lizzey sighed in relief, "Good because dying isn't good for your health any."

Melody sighed in exasperation and yet did not get angry. "Lizzey…calm down…" she pleaded, voice weak. "Please just calm down…" She glanced at Key and Jaymal, battling it out, feet moving quickly in the slick grass and thought, "I've got to help him…" She was keenly aware of every drop of blood which splashed against the lush grass, decorating it like a gruesome morning dew.

As his fight continued, Key felt himself weakening rapidly, sore muscles unable to keep up with Jaymal any longer. His blows became softer and his movements slower as Jaymal took the upper hand, backing him up to the edge of the cliff and sneering triumphantly in his face. "Prepare to die…" Jaymal hissed.

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**Sorry I had to cut it short like this, I just wanted to add another chapter so I'll have a bit more time to make the ending as good as possible. I have decided that I DEFINITELY will have a sequel to this so be watching out for that. Either that or just put me on the author alert list and you'll get an email for it…just depends on whatever floats your boat. Last chapter is coming up in a few weeks. Please send in a review b/c I need all the review I can get! (BTW, I have already started the sequel…and those of you who were fans of Key will be pleased at his role in the fiction…now I shall be silent…I have said too much)**


	16. Abrupt goodbyes

**Disclaimer: **To see disclaimer, read chapters one through 14…those have plenty of disclaimerness for you to enjoy…but just in case…I don't own the Sonic characters…

**The last chapter…--sobs—but it's kind of a relief to finish writing this…of course those of you who are REALLY nice will send in a review…I'm trying to see how many reviews I can get per story…so even when I am done…reviews would be appreciated for any chapter. SoOoOoOo…I guess onward with the story? And don't forget the sequel that will probably come out sometime in the next few months…so check back for that if you liked this story.**

**Melody:** Finally…it took you long enough…

**Me: **Hey! No complaining! You're just lucky I'm not killing you off.

**Melody: **--crosses arms—HMPH!

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Key chanced a glance backwards, shivering as he saw empty space. "Prepare to die?" he asked, feet uncomfortably halfway over the edge, "What if I don't want to!"

Jaymal smirked. "I'm leaving you no choice…"

Using Jaymal's own confidence against him, Key grabbed a dirk from his belt, and, in the same swift movement, plunged it into Jaymal's shoulder. The now wounded angel stepped back in surprise, hand over a fresh stream of blood as Key ran forward, ramming into him and knocking him to the ground.

Key took a few deep breaths, thankful for his narrow escape. "Told you I didn't feel like dying…but maybe you should take your own advice…"

Jaymal grunted as he forced himself to his feet, hands on his knees for support until he was able to stand full height again. He ignored the blood staining his clothes from the shoulder down as he spoke, "Key, what makes us so different is that you're so noble…and I'm not. You could have killed me when I was down…but let me guess…your principles stopped you? Well that was the mistake that will cost you your life!" Without warning, he charged at Key, sword cutting through the air at his neck. Key did not have time to react.

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Amy and Shadow were fighting back to back now, surrounded by the gang of fierce angel guards. Shadow found that he could not use his best moves with Amy around but couldn't leave her vulnerable to a circle of enemies. He felt like a sitting duck, unable to defend himself easily and expecting to feel the harsh coldness of steel any minute.

Amy felt quite the opposite. Able to wield her hammer with ease and still have protection, she did not notice Shadow's discomfort.

(ooops…did I _accidentally_ leave you guys on a cliff hanger?…oops…my bad. At least I didn't transition to magical little elves or anything…)

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Instead of hearing his sword puncture flesh, Jaymal's ears were greeted by a sharply contrasting sound. For a split second, he saw no one. He blinked and Melody was there, fending off his sword with hers and snarling into his face, "Nice try!"

"I owe you one…" Key managed to whisper into Melody's ear as she pushed against Jaymal's sword.

Feeling her grip slip, Melody hastily answered, "Nah…that was payback to you…" She gripped the ground with her feet and lunged forward, her blade slipping against his and jabbing into Jaymal's chest with a sickening squelch.

Jaymal grabbed the sword, yanking it from his chest by the blade and punching Melody in the face. She staggered backwards a few steps, waving her arms to regain her balance as she nearly fell into the empty space. Key grabbed her arm, pulling her to firmer land as he whispered, "Don't strain yourself…that wound in your stomach isn't going to get better if you do."

Melody nodded, "I am aware of that." She parried off a few blows from Jaymal as she spoke. She groaned as another wave of pain washed over her, temporarily paralyzing her.

Jaymal pushed past her, lifting Key up by the collar of his shirt and hissing, "Now it ends for you…" He turned and walked to the edge of the cliff, laughing as Key shuddered. "You know what comes next…"

Key tried to buy some time, "No, I seem to have forgotten…" he said sarcastically. "And if you do drop me, I swear by everything in me, that I will come back for revenge!" His eyes blazed with an emotion Jaymal could not identify. Shivering in fear, he let go. Key fell straight down, eyes fixed with that same emotion as he struggled to catch flight. The wind whirled around him, pushing his wings and feathers every which way, hindering them as he plummeted downward.

"NO!" Melody screamed, struggling to get up and leap at Jaymal, trying to inflict as much damage as possible with her sword. Jaymal sidestepped, sending her hurtling over the edge as well. She grabbed the edge just in time and hung there a few minutes, panting heavily as her tears fell with the rain.

Noticing Amy and Shadow for the first time really since the fight, Melody whispered in their minds, "I'm sending you home…you can never return…don't worry about me…" She summoned the last of her magic and transferred it into the ground. It traveled to Amy, Shadow, and Lizzey, running up their limbs and teleporting them back to Amy's hometown. Melody's eyelids dropped as she hung limply, hand slipping until she was grasping nothingness. The sound of the thunder, the rain plastering her hair to her neck, her immense grief, the wind rushing through her disheveled feathers, and the terror of it all melted away as her body met the sand.

Jaymal laughed, "Two enemies down, three to go…" he thought as he and his angels departed.

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Amy, Shadow, and Lizzey appeared on the street Amy begun her journey on. Each of them had dazed expressions on as they blinked a few times, trying to focus their sight. "w-what just happened?" Amy stammered, leaning on Shadow for support.

He shrugged, "I'm not sure…but someone we ended up back here…home…"

"Guys, Melody could be in danger!" Lizzey reminded them, voice rising several octaves.

Amy sighed, "We can't do anything about it…we just have to go home…and hope for the best…there is no way of knowing…" She nodded at Shadow.

"Yes…" Shadow answered, "and of course…I forgot one thing…" he started, looking over at her, "I don't know how to ask this, but…will you marry me?" (Awwwww…I'll just leave you guys at that…that's what sequels are for anyways)

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_Epilogue_

_Eva the otter watched as the sun's first rays peaked through the clouds, the sky instantly lighting up in brilliant hues of pink, orange, and purple as the dreariness dissipated and a chilling stillness permeated the very air. For the first time in nineteen years, the storms had cleared._

_She hobbled along the sand, leaning heavily on a cane as she passed by the bodies of several angels. She knocked against them with her wooden walking aid, confirming they were indeed lifeless, and examined them, stooping down to take a golden watch from one of their pockets. Returning to her bent over height, she spotted two panther angels, one halfway on top of the other, blood mingling in the sand together._

_She clucked to herself, "Poor creatures…they're so young…and definitely not like those nasty angel soldiers." She sighed and limped back towards her little cave but paused as she heard a slight moan behind her. Gazing back at the younger panther angels, she returned, and prodded Melody with her stick, listening to more of her moans. "This one is alive…" she said to herself._

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**Now, my story is officially over. Sorry to the Key fans…it was a tragedy, and this was planned for a long time to set things up for my sequel…which he actually is in. So that's something to look forward to. Please review…b/c those who review are AWESOME! Along with my sequel, I'll be posting a few oneshots with probably various fight scenes, because I just love writing fight scenes for some reason. And I have a few other stories coming up soon as well. Two of them are Sonic stories! Well…this was pretty good for my first fanfic I guess…and I got a nice amount of reviews so far (49 I think) which is very encouraging…but I don't want to see the reviews stop just because I am finished…I still need advice and stuff for future stories and stuff…and besides…it's nice to get an occasional review now and again for something I wrote a while back.**


	17. Sequel is up! Read inside for details

**Finally, the first chapter of my new fanfic, sequel to Cursed Friendship is up as a new story! WOO! Decided to write a short summary/teaser as the last chapter of Cursed Friendship so some of the people who faved the last would know it's up. As for finding it…try my profile. Okay, here's the teaser, don't worry, no real spoilers.**

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oh yeah…almost forgot

**Disclaimer: As the VERY last disclaimer for this particular story…I suppose I should make this a long, well thought out speech…or not. In short, I don't own the Sonic Characters but Melody and Key are of my own creation. The end! Lolz**

**Anyways….receipt **

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Here are a few teasers:

_Jaymal shivered and yet lost none of his natural cruelty, "Well. Well. Well. Key is it? Reduced to threatening people in their dreams now? If you do manage to come back, I'll just kill you again…it was easy enough the first time."_

_Key snorted, "You won't be so lucky next time. The next time we face, I'll be more powerful than you can imagine, just you wait and see…"_

_Jaymal smirked then snarled, "We'll see about that. Until then, have fun in hell!"_

_Key laughed, "As if…just because you'll end up there doesn't mean I did…" He vanished._

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_Jaymal snapped awake, slamming his hand down on the arm of his chair as he thought angrily, "You think you're so clever, Key, don't you, trying to haunt my dreams. But I know your main weakness…since your little girlfriend somehow survived…so I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you…" Smirkin, he pushed himself from his chair, summoning two more of his guards. "I want you to seek out Melody take her prisoner. I want her alive."_

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**That's it w/ the teasers. Hope ya read the new story and best of all REVIEW! –grins--**


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